Dr. Sarah Wakeman

Yeah, and so the reasons for that are likely environmental because your genes don't change over that time period. So the risk factors, you know, if you think about breast cancer, it's alcohol, it's obesity, it's, you know, age when you have children or don't have children because it's a really hormonally driven cancer. Same thing if you think about colon cancer.

Yeah, and so the reasons for that are likely environmental because your genes don't change over that time period. So the risk factors, you know, if you think about breast cancer, it's alcohol, it's obesity, it's, you know, age when you have children or don't have children because it's a really hormonally driven cancer. Same thing if you think about colon cancer.

That's a really scary one where we're seeing more and more cases in younger people. Some of the drivers of that, eating meat. So processed meats increase your risk of colon cancer. So, you know, these very sort of normal behaviors. There's probably other environmental things, honestly, that we're not yet measuring or able to measure.

That's a really scary one where we're seeing more and more cases in younger people. Some of the drivers of that, eating meat. So processed meats increase your risk of colon cancer. So, you know, these very sort of normal behaviors. There's probably other environmental things, honestly, that we're not yet measuring or able to measure.

Just given the rate of acceleration, when I talk to my colleagues who are oncologists, you know, things like plastics or other things that we don't yet know, it's clearly something in the environment that is driving these increased cancer risks.

Just given the rate of acceleration, when I talk to my colleagues who are oncologists, you know, things like plastics or other things that we don't yet know, it's clearly something in the environment that is driving these increased cancer risks.

So that would be one unit. So that would be fewer than 14 of that. So you could see like, you know, if you had double that, it would be a decent pour of wine. You could not have more than seven of those in a week to be in low risk. But even drinking that amount, your risk of breast cancer would go up a little bit.

So that would be one unit. So that would be fewer than 14 of that. So you could see like, you know, if you had double that, it would be a decent pour of wine. You could not have more than seven of those in a week to be in low risk. But even drinking that amount, your risk of breast cancer would go up a little bit.

There's really sort of no safe amount of alcohol when it comes to breast cancer.

There's really sort of no safe amount of alcohol when it comes to breast cancer.

So that low-risk category, so these big cancer studies categorize people as sort of low-risk or light drinkers, moderate or heavy. And for pretty much every cancer, once you get to the moderate category, we start seeing increases. And there's what we call a dose-response relationship. So the more you drink, the higher your risk of cancer.

So that low-risk category, so these big cancer studies categorize people as sort of low-risk or light drinkers, moderate or heavy. And for pretty much every cancer, once you get to the moderate category, we start seeing increases. And there's what we call a dose-response relationship. So the more you drink, the higher your risk of cancer.

There's only a few cancers that the risk seems to increase even at that very low level. And breast cancer is one of those. And then esophageal cancer is one of those. So there are certain cancers where even a small amount of alcohol will increase your risk.

There's only a few cancers that the risk seems to increase even at that very low level. And breast cancer is one of those. And then esophageal cancer is one of those. So there are certain cancers where even a small amount of alcohol will increase your risk.

Yeah. So colon cancer, we're seeing that in a lot of young men. Liver cancer. Yeah. Prostate cancer, which is obviously a male cancer we don't think of as much as being sort of an alcohol-sensitive cancer. But most cancers, because the way alcohol impacts your risk of cancer is not really on a specific organ outside of the liver. It's really about how it changes our DNA.

Yeah. So colon cancer, we're seeing that in a lot of young men. Liver cancer. Yeah. Prostate cancer, which is obviously a male cancer we don't think of as much as being sort of an alcohol-sensitive cancer. But most cancers, because the way alcohol impacts your risk of cancer is not really on a specific organ outside of the liver. It's really about how it changes our DNA.

So it's about inflammation and what are called reactive oxygen species that sort of change our cells and increase the risk over time of the mutations that lead to cancer.

So it's about inflammation and what are called reactive oxygen species that sort of change our cells and increase the risk over time of the mutations that lead to cancer.

If you're drinking two of those glasses, yeah, you'd be in the heavy category. Okay.

If you're drinking two of those glasses, yeah, you'd be in the heavy category. Okay.